Bill Clinton: “Well, I think that what we learned in Bosnia was that we shouldn't set a date certain and later find out we can't meet…”

“Well, I think that what we learned in Bosnia was that we shouldn't set a date certain and later find out we can't meet it and have people feel that they've been misled. I don't want to do that. So I think the important thing to do is to have an exit strategy based on benchmarks, on developments. And then if the Congress agrees with the benchmarks, that those are reasonable standards, then I think we can have an open relationship that has some credibility in the agreements between the Congress and the executive branch. In terms of paying for it, I think in this fiscal year, whatever we have to do, we would need emergency funding because we're in a fiscal year where the Defense budget is already set. In the years ahead, I would expect that we would have to work that into the budget, and I think that's what the Congress leaders--Congress, as far as I know in both parties--have expected us to do, because they don't want the Pentagon to have to absorb these costs away from readiness and taking care of our people in the military. Cooperation With Republicans”